Hey Justin, I am a returning guitar player using your iPhone leasons app and am on module 9 now. Will you have any singing with guitar lessons on your app?
I can’t sing very well, but I can’t just play a song without singing lol. Nirvana and everlast. A lot of their songs work well enough for my voice to not send everything in earshot running
Thats such bulls***. People trolling you about your singing. Meanwhile youre giving high quality lessons of your lifes work for free. My favorite part if your lessons is when you sing the chord voicings.
lol welcome to youtube, there could be a 5 star professional who made millions, giving a lesson and there still gonna be ppl saying they suck and are doing it wrong
Pay no attention to the very few negative people who have nothing better to do. Huge amount of positive responses to read and are well earned. Justin is an absolute gem
this is one of the better start to sing vids I have ever seen. and he is a good singer, yes comments are often attacking on any music 🎵🎶 or artistic videos. thanks for calling them out!!!!
Hi Justin, I have never commented before.Recently, I met my guitar hero by pure accident. In Melbourne, I attended the Tommy Emmanuel concert which was superb! The following morning I went for breakfast with my wife at a little restaurant near the threatre. We were seated right next to Tommy and a friend. I had a lovely exchange with him and I treasure the meeting. Your lessons are absolutely sensational!! Apart from your guitar talent and singing, your personality is a real gift. You explain thins so well and you are a champion for all us aspiring guitar players. From the bottom of my 72 year old heart, thanks mate!!
OMG, when you started the “quiet singing” and the “talk singing” I literally teared up a little. This is the advice I’ve been looking for. I wish I would have had this video 36 years ago. Thank you. ❤️
Justin’s videos are like that good friend that you can sometimes lose touch with, but when you reconnect you remember why they are such a good friend. This was a helpful video. Thanks.
I’ve been dealing w some serious depression for a long time and trying to learn guitar and sing helps me cope. I suck at both still but just watching your lessons honestly does give me hope. You’ve got a great character and refreshing honesty and directness that I love. I strive to be a little more that myself. Thank you.
Hang in there Shwen. I also find a lot of comfort in music and love Justin's videos. If you're having fun keep doing it, I also suck at both singing and playing but I don't care, it's fun. 🙂
I started playing just before I lost it with anxiety and depression. Guitar, even a few minutes a day was the only thing I could do and helped me immensely. Stick with it and know that there's always light at the end of the tunnel. You will feel better.
Helpful lesson Justin. I’m 74 years . I usually sing “in my head” when I play, but of course that’s not my own voice. I found the singy / talky in a low voice method very helpful.
Me too. I'm 67, same thing. I took advice from another comment about tuning down a full step, and with my singy/talky voice, I'm having a lot of fun with it. If you try it, Sixteen Tons and Wellerman are fun. Thanks.
I'm turning 60 today and just about 5 years ago I decided to learn play guitar and sing from cero today after those years I'm still feel lost but I just want to keep going my main motivation is retirement and be able to an joy time with music I have learn basic cords but having difficulties strumming make it sound like music to my ears Singing since I have no idea what is my range I'm just jumping from all over I'm part a singing choir in my church but I want more 80 percent at list
The point at the end about confidence is sooooo valid, as is your earlier point about feeling comfortable. I used to “sing in my head” because I thought my voice was so bad, but then I realised I wasn’t playing the tune I was “singing”. I’m a woodworker and I made a really nice guitar hanger that I was proud of, then, shortly afterwards we had a couple of very close friends over for dinner and they remarked on the guitar hanging on the wall. They asked if I would play something and I made all the excuses about singing, but they insisted and as they are good friends I decided I didn’t mind sounding like a clown - I knew they wouldn’t be too harsh on me, so I cracked out Streets of London and was both surprised and pleased when they all (including my wife) started clapping. I was happy that my friends were being kind to me, but then they asked me to sing another song! I was surprised, because I don’t think I would want to listen to me singing twice, but as I had the instrument in my hand I did Hotel California and got an even louder clap! The point of this tale is that I know (and so do they) that I’ll never be a great singer, BUT, what I did was to share some joy and that was the biggest motivator to make me sing more often. So, in summary (I know it’s a long post, sorry), I would say, find some songs you like, sing while you practice, play for friends and family and just be happy - happiness is what music is all about, surely? (unless you’re a Leonard Cohen fan, of course, lol).
This is a wonderful lesson. You are one of the “demystifier”teachers that I really admire. You get down to students level and it shows your dedication as an educator. Thank you Justin.
This is an outstanding lesson. You have hit the nail on the head. I picked up the guitar a couple of years ago and went onto many UA-cam sites to learn the basics of guitar playing. Your tutorials are by far the best I have experienced - and there have been a lot - you are a born teacher. This singing tutorial is the best advice you have given. We are not all Pavarotti, but we all have a voice. I heard that Karen Carpenter had an extremely quiet singing voice and benefited from amplification. The world would have been a poorer place if she was told not to sing.
Hey Mick! You're exactly right about Karen Carpenter. Justin's comments about not straining/pushing or singing too loudly reminded me of an excerpt from a biography called "Little Girl Blue, The Life of Karen Carpenter". Karen was being driven to the studio with one of her friends and as she was warming up and singing in the car the friend was totally surprised how quiet her singing voice really was. It was mentioned in the book that Karen let the microphone do the work. It's a great read if you like the Carpenters.
My number 1 desire in learning guitar is not fast lead etc, but to be able to play and sing songs on acoustic to a decent standard. So I jumped on this!
Justin's the best man! I love him. 1.5 million subscribers, he's doing something right. Did his free electric guitar lessons, ended up paying for his lesson app. Best investment ever made other then my buying my first electronic guitar. Learned so much from him, opened up a whole new world. I've watched and listened to other UA-camrs, they are great as well. Justin is the best though and I am grateful for everything he has taught me.
Regarding dynamics. You're 100% spot on, Justin. The best analogy I've heard is your first day at the gym. If you go for max weights on your first day, nothing good will come of it. If you take your time and start light, over time, you will build your muscles and the strength will come. Very similar to working out our vocal chords and voices.
This is the best video ever for a guitarist trying to learn to sing. Most others deal with the fancy vocal coaching stuff which is probably more relevant for singer-only people. Awesome work mate.
Justin this is a wonderful and encouraging lesson. I'm persisting with learning to sing along to my guitar tunes and this video helps on so many levels. You have such a genuine helpful character, simply one of the brightest stars in the universe of the internet!
I recorded myself despite hating my voice. My singers have all told me to start singing. I was convinced I sounded bad. To my astonishment, I'm not a bad vocalist when I pick my fights well. GL, YOU GOT THIS!!!
i m a singer for 30 yrs .. this is good advice .. I ve given vocal lessons .. The biggest thing is that when you sing , you need project ...obviously pitch is important ..
Justin- as a preformer of 20 years plus, I have to say I have STILL learned much from your video. And yes! You have improved! Thank you for humility and approach. I'm a folk singer and while voice lessons are great,I'm not Mr. American idol. This video was the best I've seen for helping in a super practical way. Most videos I see are without the addition of the guitar. Thank you so much!!
Justin I am so grateful for your videos. You have made a tremendous difference for me. Now you’ve taken it to a whole other level. Proper singing has been extremely difficult for me. This video has blown up my impression of what signing could be if I stop straining to reach a note the way I hear it. I’m excited to work with these exercises. So grateful for who you are and your commitment to teaching and improving.
Man! The reason I subscribed to you is because you are real. Much better for me to learn from someone who is also still learning. Much more comfortable and encouraging to learn from someone who is honest and humble about their own talent. Thank you.
Fascinating Jason. I'm still not there yet but I now think in similar terms. I try to "inhabit" a song, I spent too long trying to sing a Dylan song (for example) in his style. Much better to do your own interpretation. Unfortunately most of the stuff I like to do is by American singers and it hard to not try and effect a fake accent. As I said it's work in progress but your lesson is a huge inspiration. Many thanks.
Great video! It's nice to learn from someone that can relate, someone that's in our shoes. I think it's much easier to learn this way rather from a super vocal coach that never addresses the beginner issues that you cover. Major props!!
How do you inspire people? Prove you share or have shared in their struggles. Kudos to you, sir, for doing just that. You're already helping teach me to play the guitar; now you might start teaching me to sing as well!
I spent A whole afternoon, looking at a bunch of UA-cam singing coaches. All of them were giving anything but the basics which is all I wanted. Your video was a home run! Thanks so much!
I've found that over time, the vocal lessons do become part of you and work their magic.And your true voice comes through.Minus all that posture and ' Musical Show' tone. You are great, Justin.Mind-boggling how much help you have given to so many !Thanks
You are my favorite online guitar teacher and I have noticed a marked improvement in your singing. Thanks for sharing these tips, they obviously worked for you!
You´re awesome! i paid for your beginners course this year and feel so genuinely grateful for your contribution to this space. I sincerely hope you never get tired of hearing me say ¨Thank you" Greetings from Patagonia Chile!!
I wish I would have had this video years ago. It sounds like a great starting point for total beginners and people who have low confidence in their singing. I had quite the same issues like you did and thought that I'll never be able to sing. I actually committed to taking singing lessons from local teachers, because quiting was no option for me. But I only experienced a noteworthy breakthrough after I got to my fourth teacher, one that was seeing me as an individual person and focusing on my voice and not standard lessons. So it definitely depends on how well you teacher fits to you, if your teacher trains your individual voice and doesn't simply use standard vocal exercises and most importantly how persistent you are. It took me over 4 years to get to a point where I like my singing voice and am confident enough not to feel hurt by other people's opinions. I believe it could have gone faster if my start weren't so rocky. Justin you're definitely one of the best teachers out there! You can even give valuable information about matters out of your expertise.
Sounded like people were putting you down but thank you for sticking with it, battling through and not giving up because my dad and I have both found it very helpful. Thanks! God bless
This was an awesome lesson. I have always felt that I can’t sing and was told I was tone deaf. I sing when I play alone and no one can hear me, but I don’t have the confidence even then. I know I hit the right note once in awhile and csn sing when I am singing along with the record or someone, so I know the ability is there. Anyway, this lesson has been an inspiration for me and I will do the ‘exercises’ you have mentioned. Thank you so much and I would love a sequel lesson to this one.
Yes! The recording helps so much. I had to start out recording just my speaking voice at first, for a couple of months. No music, no singing. I’ve hated my voice so much for so long, but after several months of recording, I’m starting to be able to at least listen back to some of it so that I can see what needs to be worked on.
I've been struggling to learn guitar/sing and I came across this channel and I've been down this rabbit hole for hours... but I feel like I've learned more than I have in months on my own. Thank you Justin for these videos, you have no idea how much it helps and how happy that makes me
I been watching your videos for at least 10 years and your singing has improved immensely...I'm am sincerely surprised how much you have improved! Well done!
Hi Justin! Thank you for this awesome free lessons. Learned so much from your channel and keep learning while enjoying it (isn't that the point?). What sparked my interest in your teaching was that I think your understanding of music and art in general is great. Expressing feelings via music is a gift and I think sometimes people are so concentrated on the music part and forget the feelings. Worry, fear of failure, pressure to make it sound "right" creates the strain and this is a beautiful paradox :) if you wanna sing better, don't worry too much about singing better. Let yourself to make mistakes and accept them joyfully, that's how any human learns anything. It's important to point this out because most artists and aspiring artists have a tendency to act perfectionistic and keep criticizing every mistake. That kind of behaviour can steal the joy and hinders the progress. You are very well aware of that and your videos have a therapeutic effect which fairly supports the learning journey and this is one of the prominent reasons why you are an awesome teacher. Thank you.
Been following you Justin since I started playing 14 yrs. ago & you made comments during some of those early tutorials that your not gonna sing because you can't, you”be since found your confidence & your voice....sounds great....cheers mate 🍻
Thank you Justin. It really helps me when you sing with the lesson. I appreciate the guitar lessons and I love to sing. Any time you help with singing it's a huge bonus. Thank you so much.
Justin have followed you for many years. Watched this video of your tips for singing. Its brilliant. So simple precise and honest. Well done mate. Ray.
Hey Justin, thank you so much for your tutorials in general and your help!! Without your videos I wouldn't have learned how to play the guitar so quickly! This video is also perfect and excactly what I was missing on my guitar journey atm!! You're absolutely correct: Most people just want not to suck at singing (including me). It seems to me that many tips you find elsewhere in the internet assume that you already know how to hit every note. You said so many true things in your video that reminded me of that I'm not alone with this problem. So thank you for that! It's also comforting to know that even you had some issues with your singing in the beginning and it is a long process to become a good singer. Some are more talented than others, but it also can be seen as an instrument that needs some practice to be learned. Anyway the most important thing I wanted to say (besides thank you) is: I highly appreciate it when you sing in your videos to demonstrate the songs. It just makes much more sense that way and I think you have a beautiful voice! So please keep it up!!
Thank you Justin for this great lesson “Learning to Sing.” I needed the talk …and encouragement. Your discussion about being relaxed is so very important. First time I ever got the urge to sing, I had just listened to the conversation song Dialogue (Chicago V -wood album). Robert Lamm (a singer for sure) wrote the song, but Terry Kath and Peter Cetera sang the vocals trading back and forth throughout Part I. Terry sounds open and soulful and is contrasted by Peter’s higher register, tight sound. As shown in widely available videos, Peter chewed gum while singing - I believe he did it to relax the stress of the performance. The separate concerned/carefree parts of the written lyrics seem opposite to the two different singing styles (soulful-low versus high-tight). Both Terry and Peter had to have been very relaxed to be able to sing and also play their instruments when performing Dialogue live. Your other great point, that finding one’s natural range (or wheelhouse), is very good. Thank you Justin - your work is always very much appreciated!
Really brilliant lesson and tips, Justin! Been singing my whole life, have had many lessons, and still learned so much from this video. Two thumbs up for listening to the original song over and over again to learn the melody and nuances, and recording yourself and listening and correcting. I do this all the time. And Capo is my best friend!😊
Thank you, I had an absolute shocker of a singing teacher "I say, you do" would not discuss anything, did not prepare me to deal with stage fright etc. I like this approach much more.
Excellent tutorial! Thank you! For those of us with quieter voices who also play instruments, learning how to properly use a microphone becomes imperative. That should be the next lesson.
Great tutorial Justin. What I like about your videos, is that you always come across as genuinely wanting to help people. You have a warm personable style and that allows people to be able to really understand what you are saying. In that way, you are a true communicator. Keep up the good work.
Love this video! Justin addresses many of the issues a lot of us struggle with. I had zero confidence after being humiliated and shamed at age 5 by a teacher in front of the entire class. Our kindergarten class was singing a song in front of the entire school and she said I ruined it. This affected music lessons I took in later years where I was required to sing.
@@nigelmadeley7798 my granddaughter sings in a school choir, they took 1st place in state and 2nd in Nationals. When she hears me sing she's embarrassed,lol. She says she doesn't think I'm tone deaf, just bad.
I learned a lot of guitar from you as a beginner years ago. I never minded your singing , it beats guitar teachers that won't even have a go at it. It helped, so good job
When you taught Time Warp it helped me immensely and I laughed so hard. You showed your mistakes and it helped me overcome my anxiety about singing Thank you!
Sometimes people who are good at something gives the most awful advice because they have no idea what it's like to be a beginner. This video is great and will help a lot of people.
True. You’d ask a famous singer how you can improve singing. They would say « Sing as often as possible ». Professional singers keep their secrets secret.
Its something I've always struggled with. I know I can sing a bit and I can play basic chords a bit, but to do both etc etc has always been a huge challenge. I will try these tips for sure and hopefully have the balls to post a video. Great video. It really hit home. I've neglected my guitar for 2 years now as I thought that was as good as it gets.
This is exactly what helped me with my singing. Playing the melody of a song and singing the notes along. The tuning of the guitar is very important. Since I tuned it two half steps down I can sing much more relaxed. Interestingly some bands play live a half step down e. g. Incubus (drive). Thanx for the video Justin. Cheers
@@thomaserlhoff1156 my friend has a saying, capo up to sing down, slides the capo up the neck, same chords, until it fits his voice, it works pretty good
Thank you,,I’ve been told over and over that I sing out of key,,luckily,at my age it doesn’t bother me,,but I want to sing better ,I picked up a uke and love it and love singing,,recording my voice and playin it back has helped,,
I’ve sung at open mics - one time a friend/coworker commented afterwards “you hit some of the notes!” It was embarrassing to hear but reflecting I realized he was right. In the end very helpful to hear. I know I was kind of phoning it in thinking about my guitar too much. I realized singing is most important and the guitar can just fade away at points. Guitar should be lead by the singer or there’s no song - f’up the playing but keep the song going and let the guitar catch up!
What a great lesson. I've just recently been trying to sing along with my guitar playing after "graduating" your beginner courses. I can actually handle quite a few but my voice is ummm...let's just say I rarely relisten to my recordings. Been considering voice lessons but this is actually what I want to do. Thanks so much!
Justin, on the subject of straining, the most important tip I ever got was intended as a general one, which was "If you want to learn how to sing, do it with headphones on. (At the time, this required using an acoustic amp with headphone jack or Garage Band.) It felt like magic and really highlighted how much I'd been straining, to no good effect. To this day, if I've gotten out of shape, the best remedy is to start again through headphones. A few days of singing and it's fine to take them off again. On the subject of protecting our voices from injury, This Is The Voice, by John Colapinto addresses the consequences of excessive strain. Cheers, -G
@@timk6181 Yes. As in plugging guitar and mic into acoustic amp and then plugging headphones into the headphone jack on the amp. What you hear in your headphones is the levels and effects, including reverb, which would have come out of the loudspeaker. Everything you do will become less labored.
Bobbie Gentry is a great example of talk-singing. If you listen to "Ode to Billy Joe", you'll hear she only uses vibrato fairly rarely. She just tells the story and lets that give the drama. Same on "Fancy".
great video Justin I have to agree with you. My playing and singing improved so much once I stared recording myself. Then I found a FB group where they encouraged you to post you playing and sing and now I've started posting to YT. Now my next spep is to pluck up the courage to do a open mic night.
@@metalfuryskulls Justin the group is called (Joe Murphy Guitar Lessons & Inspiration) Members can post as mean videos of themself playing as they like, and it does not matter if you are a beginner/ intermediate or advanced player. All are welcome. they are a great bunch on there and give so much encouragement.
What a great lesson. Thank you. Justin, would consider a lesson on how to start the process of singing while playing? When I start to sing, my playing, no matter how simple the song, starts to fall apart.
i need that too. i can only manage a few simple 8th note strumming pattern songs and sing at the same time. any kind of 16th strum or reggae strum.....forget it.
Learn the song you play really well, without thinking about it, kinda automatic. Then try to just hum the melody while playing without messing up, and then try singing, you’ll finally succeed. At least this works for me.
I had the same struggle. I can only recommend to just do it. .start with songs that start singing on the first note as opposed to halfway down the measure. .don't overthink it. Now I don't care I can start singing along any time.
@@ralfybaby yea but the tricky part for me is keeping a consistent strumming pattern, hell i don even care how my voice sounds. anything riff based, 16th strumming, or anything more than just 8th folk strumming falls apart.
A Blue Ribbon panel of experts at the International Association of Excellence in Understatement has just released their decision on the biggest understatement of the 21st century. The panel determined that The Greatest Understatement of the 21st Century was contained in a UA-cam Video entitled "How not to suck at singing!" on a channel by the name of JustinGuitar. The statement, made by Justin himself, is as follows: "...I feel like I've made quite a decent amount of improvement [in singing] in the last few years." DUDE! To use Justin's terminology, intending no offense or ill will of course, Justin used to suck at singing. People watched his videos, despite this, because he was a good guitar player, an excellent, natural guitar teacher, and a pleasant, easy-to-listen-to all around likeable guy, even if he was not a good singer. They wished he could sing better, but ultimately they decided that it didn't matter. They liked him, and they learned from him. But then, he apparently decided that he would work at his singing, and get better at it. And, as a result, he went from "sucking" at singing to being a very good singer, who is enjoyable to listen to. Now, he has it all.
*More tips & free lessons:* www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/learning-to-sing-bg-1903
Hey Justin, I am a returning guitar player using your iPhone leasons app and am on module 9 now. Will you have any singing with guitar lessons on your app?
how did you post this comment 8 days ago when this video uploaded 1 day ago?
@@Jeb4100 Justin is a talented guy. He's also figured out time travel :-)
@@perro0076 woah
po
You’re just such a breath of fresh air mate, music for the rest of us
So many have quit because of purists.
You make it ok to be just ok
❤️❤️❤️
Well said. Purists, both teachers and students have discouraged more players than anything else. Its about the joy of playing and singing
Very true! We can train to be pretty good, but may start off not so good... Negative feedback can kill our desire to even try!
Being okay is how you get good. Purists either don't remember, are jealous of their ability, or suck.
I can’t sing very well, but I can’t just play a song without singing lol.
Nirvana and everlast. A lot of their songs work well enough for my voice to not send everything in earshot running
Thats such bulls***. People trolling you about your singing. Meanwhile youre giving high quality lessons of your lifes work for free. My favorite part if your lessons is when you sing the chord voicings.
lol welcome to youtube, there could be a 5 star professional who made millions, giving a lesson and there still gonna be ppl saying they suck and are doing it wrong
Pay no attention to the very few negative people who have nothing better to do. Huge amount of positive responses to read and are well earned. Justin is an absolute gem
Couldn't agree more.
Haters gonna hate
this is one of the better start to sing vids I have ever seen. and he is a good singer, yes comments are often attacking on any music 🎵🎶 or artistic videos. thanks for calling them out!!!!
Hi Justin, I have never commented before.Recently, I met my guitar hero by pure accident. In Melbourne, I attended the Tommy Emmanuel concert which was superb! The following morning I went for breakfast with my wife at a little restaurant near the threatre. We were seated right next to Tommy and a friend. I had a lovely exchange with him and I treasure the meeting. Your lessons are absolutely sensational!! Apart from your guitar talent and singing, your personality is a real gift. You explain thins so well and you are a champion for all us aspiring guitar players. From the bottom of my 72 year old heart, thanks mate!!
OMG, when you started the “quiet singing” and the “talk singing” I literally teared up a little. This is the advice I’ve been looking for. I wish I would have had this video 36 years ago. Thank you. ❤️
OMG? Omiggoshini mankaboko Garadoda?
Justin’s videos are like that good friend that you can sometimes lose touch with, but when you reconnect you remember why they are such a good friend. This was a helpful video. Thanks.
I’ve been dealing w some serious depression for a long time and trying to learn guitar and sing helps me cope. I suck at both still but just watching your lessons honestly does give me hope. You’ve got a great character and refreshing honesty and directness that I love. I strive to be a little more that myself. Thank you.
Hang in there Shwen. I also find a lot of comfort in music and love Justin's videos. If you're having fun keep doing it, I also suck at both singing and playing but I don't care, it's fun. 🙂
I started playing just before I lost it with anxiety and depression. Guitar, even a few minutes a day was the only thing I could do and helped me immensely.
Stick with it and know that there's always light at the end of the tunnel. You will feel better.
I can SO relate. Keep your head held high!
Hey mate. How's your guitar and singing progress, and your mental health? Hope you're doing better with everything. Cheers!
Helpful lesson Justin. I’m 74 years . I usually sing “in my head” when I play, but of course that’s not my own voice. I found the singy / talky in a low voice method very helpful.
Yeah. Me too. I am only 60 years old.😀
Me too. I'm 67, same thing. I took advice from another comment about tuning down a full step, and with my singy/talky voice, I'm having a lot of fun with it. If you try it, Sixteen Tons and Wellerman are fun. Thanks.
I'm turning 60 today and just about 5 years ago I decided to learn play guitar and sing from cero today after those years I'm still feel lost but I just want to keep going my main motivation is retirement and be able to an joy time with music I have learn basic cords but having difficulties strumming make it sound like music to my ears Singing since I have no idea what is my range I'm just jumping from all over I'm part a singing choir in my church but I want more 80 percent at list
The point at the end about confidence is sooooo valid, as is your earlier point about feeling comfortable. I used to “sing in my head” because I thought my voice was so bad, but then I realised I wasn’t playing the tune I was “singing”.
I’m a woodworker and I made a really nice guitar hanger that I was proud of, then, shortly afterwards we had a couple of very close friends over for dinner and they remarked on the guitar hanging on the wall. They asked if I would play something and I made all the excuses about singing, but they insisted and as they are good friends I decided I didn’t mind sounding like a clown - I knew they wouldn’t be too harsh on me, so I cracked out Streets of London and was both surprised and pleased when they all (including my wife) started clapping. I was happy that my friends were being kind to me, but then they asked me to sing another song! I was surprised, because I don’t think I would want to listen to me singing twice, but as I had the instrument in my hand I did Hotel California and got an even louder clap!
The point of this tale is that I know (and so do they) that I’ll never be a great singer, BUT, what I did was to share some joy and that was the biggest motivator to make me sing more often.
So, in summary (I know it’s a long post, sorry), I would say, find some songs you like, sing while you practice, play for friends and family and just be happy - happiness is what music is all about, surely? (unless you’re a Leonard Cohen fan, of course, lol).
I wish this response had a love like button ❤
what do you mean by a Leonard Cohen fan?
@@Dontex1949 Most of Cohen’s music is dreary.
This is a wonderful lesson. You are one of the “demystifier”teachers that I really admire. You get down to students level and it shows your dedication as an educator. Thank you Justin.
So talented, yet so humble. Just an awesome human.
Still the best singing lesson for guitarists on youtube. Thank you mate!
This is an outstanding lesson. You have hit the nail on the head. I picked up the guitar a couple of years ago and went onto many UA-cam sites to learn the basics of guitar playing. Your tutorials are by far the best I have experienced - and there have been a lot - you are a born teacher. This singing tutorial is the best advice you have given. We are not all Pavarotti, but we all have a voice. I heard that Karen Carpenter had an extremely quiet singing voice and benefited from amplification. The world would have been a poorer place if she was told not to sing.
Did a youtube search and now I'm in love with those songs and her voice. Thank you for mentioning.
Hey Mick! You're exactly right about Karen Carpenter. Justin's comments about not straining/pushing or singing too loudly reminded me of an excerpt from a biography called "Little Girl Blue, The Life of Karen Carpenter". Karen was being driven to the studio with one of her friends and as she was warming up and singing in the car the friend was totally surprised how quiet her singing voice really was. It was mentioned in the book that Karen let the microphone do the work. It's a great read if you like the Carpenters.
My number 1 desire in learning guitar is not fast lead etc, but to be able to play and sing songs on acoustic to a decent standard. So I jumped on this!
Such a great guy thank you I love all your lessons so far
Justin's the best man! I love him. 1.5 million subscribers, he's doing something right. Did his free electric guitar lessons, ended up paying for his lesson app. Best investment ever made other then my buying my first electronic guitar. Learned so much from him, opened up a whole new world. I've watched and listened to other UA-camrs, they are great as well. Justin is the best though and I am grateful for everything he has taught me.
Thanks
Thanks for the thanks 😊
Just brilliant!
The best guitar teacher on UA-cam.
Perfect timing again! One thing I’ve noticed about your singing is that you’ve really nailed your Neil Young tone. One of my favorites. ✌🏻🇺🇸
This man is a national treasure and we must protect him. 😇
Not true. He's a global treasure.
Regarding dynamics. You're 100% spot on, Justin. The best analogy I've heard is your first day at the gym. If you go for max weights on your first day, nothing good will come of it. If you take your time and start light, over time, you will build your muscles and the strength will come. Very similar to working out our vocal chords and voices.
This is the best video ever for a guitarist trying to learn to sing. Most others deal with the fancy vocal coaching stuff which is probably more relevant for singer-only people. Awesome work mate.
Justin this is a wonderful and encouraging lesson. I'm persisting with learning to sing along to my guitar tunes and this video helps on so many levels. You have such a genuine helpful character, simply one of the brightest stars in the universe of the internet!
I recorded myself despite hating my voice. My singers have all told me to start singing. I was convinced I sounded bad. To my astonishment, I'm not a bad vocalist when I pick my fights well. GL, YOU GOT THIS!!!
i m a singer for 30 yrs .. this is good advice .. I ve given vocal lessons .. The biggest thing is that when you sing , you need project ...obviously pitch is important ..
Justin- as a preformer of 20 years plus, I have to say I have STILL learned much from your video. And yes! You have improved! Thank you for humility and approach. I'm a folk singer and while voice lessons are great,I'm not Mr. American idol. This video was the best I've seen for helping in a super practical way. Most videos I see are without the addition of the guitar. Thank you so much!!
Thanks!
Thanks for the thanks 😊
Justin I am so grateful for your videos. You have made a tremendous difference for me. Now you’ve taken it to a whole other level. Proper singing has been extremely difficult for me. This video has blown up my impression of what signing could be if I stop straining to reach a note the way I hear it. I’m excited to work with these exercises. So grateful for who you are and your commitment to teaching and improving.
Thanks you Justin - your passion, content and desire to help is underrated.
Man! The reason I subscribed to you is because you are real.
Much better for me to learn from someone who is also still learning.
Much more comfortable and encouraging to learn from someone who is honest and humble about their own talent.
Thank you.
Fascinating Jason. I'm still not there yet but I now think in similar terms. I try to "inhabit" a song, I spent too long trying to sing a Dylan song (for example) in his style. Much better to do your own interpretation. Unfortunately most of the stuff I like to do is by American singers and it hard to not try and effect a fake accent. As I said it's work in progress but your lesson is a huge inspiration. Many thanks.
Great video! It's nice to learn from someone that can relate, someone that's in our shoes.
I think it's much easier to learn this way rather from a super vocal coach that never addresses the beginner issues that you cover. Major props!!
How do you inspire people? Prove you share or have shared in their struggles. Kudos to you, sir, for doing just that. You're already helping teach me to play the guitar; now you might start teaching me to sing as well!
"when you are learning a new skill, its completely normal to suck at it". TRUTH. Keep falling down and getting back up. Great video Justin!
Keep on singing! I especially like when you sing the chord names in song tutorials, it is both useful and fun
I spent A whole afternoon, looking at a bunch of UA-cam singing coaches. All of them were giving anything but the basics which is all I wanted. Your video was a home run! Thanks so much!
I've found that over time, the vocal lessons do become part of you and work their magic.And your true voice comes through.Minus all that posture and ' Musical Show' tone.
You are great, Justin.Mind-boggling how much help you have given to so many !Thanks
Keep going man! Your singing is a helpful part of your guitar lessons.
You are my favorite online guitar teacher and I have noticed a marked improvement in your singing. Thanks for sharing these tips, they obviously worked for you!
Love this guy! He's unpretentious, and such a natural teacher with whom you can easily follow and learn. ❤❤❤
You´re awesome! i paid for your beginners course this year and feel so genuinely grateful for your contribution to this space. I sincerely hope you never get tired of hearing me say ¨Thank you" Greetings from Patagonia Chile!!
I wish I would have had this video years ago. It sounds like a great starting point for total beginners and people who have low confidence in their singing. I had quite the same issues like you did and thought that I'll never be able to sing. I actually committed to taking singing lessons from local teachers, because quiting was no option for me. But I only experienced a noteworthy breakthrough after I got to my fourth teacher, one that was seeing me as an individual person and focusing on my voice and not standard lessons. So it definitely depends on how well you teacher fits to you, if your teacher trains your individual voice and doesn't simply use standard vocal exercises and most importantly how persistent you are. It took me over 4 years to get to a point where I like my singing voice and am confident enough not to feel hurt by other people's opinions. I believe it could have gone faster if my start weren't so rocky. Justin you're definitely one of the best teachers out there! You can even give valuable information about matters out of your expertise.
Sounded like people were putting you down but thank you for sticking with it, battling through and not giving up because my dad and I have both found it very helpful. Thanks! God bless
This was an awesome lesson. I have always felt that I can’t sing and was told I was tone deaf. I sing when I play alone and no one can hear me, but I don’t have the confidence even then. I know I hit the right note once in awhile and csn sing when I am singing along with the record or someone, so I know the ability is there. Anyway, this lesson has been an inspiration for me and I will do the ‘exercises’ you have mentioned. Thank you so much and I would love a sequel lesson to this one.
You are such a fun and down to earth teacher.. great to listen to. Cheers
Yes! The recording helps so much. I had to start out recording just my speaking voice at first, for a couple of months. No music, no singing. I’ve hated my voice so much for so long, but after several months of recording, I’m starting to be able to at least listen back to some of it so that I can see what needs to be worked on.
I've been struggling to learn guitar/sing and I came across this channel and I've been down this rabbit hole for hours... but I feel like I've learned more than I have in months on my own. Thank you Justin for these videos, you have no idea how much it helps and how happy that makes me
Thanks for this, I have to say, I super appreciate your singing in your tutorials.
I been watching your videos for at least 10 years and your singing has improved immensely...I'm am sincerely surprised how much you have improved! Well done!
Hi Justin! Thank you for this awesome free lessons. Learned so much from your channel and keep learning while enjoying it (isn't that the point?).
What sparked my interest in your teaching was that I think your understanding of music and art in general is great. Expressing feelings via music is a gift and I think sometimes people are so concentrated on the music part and forget the feelings. Worry, fear of failure, pressure to make it sound "right" creates the strain and this is a beautiful paradox :) if you wanna sing better, don't worry too much about singing better. Let yourself to make mistakes and accept them joyfully, that's how any human learns anything. It's important to point this out because most artists and aspiring artists have a tendency to act perfectionistic and keep criticizing every mistake. That kind of behaviour can steal the joy and hinders the progress. You are very well aware of that and your videos have a therapeutic effect which fairly supports the learning journey and this is one of the prominent reasons why you are an awesome teacher.
Thank you.
I learned for singing more than the last years. Thank you so much 👍👍😃😃😃Best wishes from Germany
Been following you Justin since I started playing 14 yrs. ago & you made comments during some of those early tutorials that your not gonna sing because you can't, you”be since found your confidence & your voice....sounds great....cheers mate 🍻
Thank you Justin. It really helps me when you sing with the lesson. I appreciate the guitar lessons and I love to sing. Any time you help with singing it's a huge bonus. Thank you so much.
Justin have followed you for many years. Watched this video of your tips for singing. Its brilliant. So simple precise and honest. Well done mate. Ray.
This is extremely encouraging for an amateur like me. Thanks. :)
Hey Justin, thank you so much for your tutorials in general and your help!! Without your videos I wouldn't have learned how to play the guitar so quickly! This video is also perfect and excactly what I was missing on my guitar journey atm!! You're absolutely correct: Most people just want not to suck at singing (including me). It seems to me that many tips you find elsewhere in the internet assume that you already know how to hit every note. You said so many true things in your video that reminded me of that I'm not alone with this problem. So thank you for that! It's also comforting to know that even you had some issues with your singing in the beginning and it is a long process to become a good singer. Some are more talented than others, but it also can be seen as an instrument that needs some practice to be learned. Anyway the most important thing I wanted to say (besides thank you) is: I highly appreciate it when you sing in your videos to demonstrate the songs. It just makes much more sense that way and I think you have a beautiful voice! So please keep it up!!
Thanks Justin. You’ve made such a difference in my guitar playing…and now my singing!
Thanks for the thanks 😊
Thank you Justin for this great lesson “Learning to Sing.” I needed the talk …and encouragement. Your discussion about being relaxed is so very important. First time I ever got the urge to sing, I had just listened to the conversation song Dialogue (Chicago V -wood album). Robert Lamm (a singer for sure) wrote the song, but Terry Kath and Peter Cetera sang the vocals trading back and forth throughout Part I. Terry sounds open and soulful and is contrasted by Peter’s higher register, tight sound. As shown in widely available videos, Peter chewed gum while singing - I believe he did it to relax the stress of the performance. The separate concerned/carefree parts of the written lyrics seem opposite to the two different singing styles (soulful-low versus high-tight). Both Terry and Peter had to have been very relaxed to be able to sing and also play their instruments when performing Dialogue live. Your other great point, that finding one’s natural range (or wheelhouse), is very good. Thank you Justin - your work is always very much appreciated!
I found holding the back of the guitar close to my chest and feeling the vibrations really helped me.
Thanks Justin, you are a wonderful teacher and a gifted communicator 🙏
Brilliant lesson and totally agree with singing teachers taking me a different direction - this lesson was really helpful thank you so much.
Great vid Justin, I’m no singer, but any improvement I’ve made was directly due to recording and listening back! Thanks for all the tips
Best tips for singing! Recording one’s self should be among the top ones. Long time subscriber. Keep the excellent work up!
Really brilliant lesson and tips, Justin! Been singing my whole life, have had many lessons, and still learned so much from this video. Two thumbs up for listening to the original song over and over again to learn the melody and nuances, and recording yourself and listening and correcting. I do this all the time. And Capo is my best friend!😊
Your
Good
Thank you, I had an absolute shocker of a singing teacher "I say, you do" would not discuss anything, did not prepare me to deal with stage fright etc. I like this approach much more.
Excellent tutorial! Thank you!
For those of us with quieter voices who also play instruments, learning how to properly use a microphone becomes imperative. That should be the next lesson.
That would be a great lesson!
Great tutorial Justin. What I like about your videos, is that you always come across as genuinely wanting to help people. You have a warm personable style and that allows people to be able to really understand what you are saying. In that way, you are a true communicator. Keep up the good work.
Love this video! Justin addresses many of the issues a lot of us struggle with. I had zero confidence after being humiliated and shamed at age 5 by a teacher in front of the entire class. Our kindergarten class was singing a song in front of the entire school and she said I ruined it.
This affected music lessons I took in later years where I was required to sing.
I had a similar experience at school which put me off singing for 40years
@@jonaldous6720 hopefully you've found a way to express yourself now that makes you happy.
Me too. I’ve hated singing ever since (60 years). I won’t sing for anybody’s money. I once got 3% in a ‘sing the note’ online lesson.
@@nigelmadeley7798 my granddaughter sings in a school choir, they took 1st place in state and 2nd in Nationals. When she hears me sing she's embarrassed,lol. She says she doesn't think I'm tone deaf, just bad.
Great video - You make singing accessible.
I can't sing but your ideas around hitting the right pitch, even in a soft voice, are really useful and I might even give it a go. Thanks Justin!
I learned a lot of guitar from you as a beginner years ago. I never minded your singing , it beats guitar teachers that won't even have a go at it. It helped, so good job
So good feels like your hitting right note with me Justin on same wave length keep it up thanks a lot.
Justin, you are spot on, my teacher for guitar and singing, my friend Daniel Boone, taught me the same. Good lesson
When you taught Time Warp it helped me immensely and I laughed so hard. You showed your mistakes and it helped me overcome my anxiety about singing Thank you!
What a great man, thanks for this superb tutorial. The Bob Ross of guitar playing
This was a solid lesson... Loved your authenticity and vulnerability... Keep singing it up J🙌🏿🎤💯
This is a very sweet, helpful and honest video...thank you !!!
Exactly the lesson I was looking for - perfect!
Wow! There is not too many people talking about finding your own voice. Thanks, great tips!!
Sometimes people who are good at something gives the most awful advice because they have no idea what it's like to be a beginner. This video is great and will help a lot of people.
True. You’d ask a famous singer how you can improve singing. They would say « Sing as often as possible ». Professional singers keep their secrets secret.
Danke!
Thanks for the thanks 😊
Its something I've always struggled with. I know I can sing a bit and I can play basic chords a bit, but to do both etc etc has always been a huge challenge. I will try these tips for sure and hopefully have the balls to post a video. Great video. It really hit home. I've neglected my guitar for 2 years now as I thought that was as good as it gets.
Get back on that horse... er..
guitar! 👍
I wish I could meet Justin in person one day, because, man, do I wanna hug this dude.
This is exactly what helped me with my singing. Playing the melody of a song and singing the notes along. The tuning of the guitar is very important. Since I tuned it two half steps down I can sing much more relaxed. Interestingly some bands play live a half step down e. g. Incubus (drive). Thanx for the video Justin. Cheers
Instead of tuning down the guitar, can’t you just change the key you’re singing in?
@@v2807 Yes you are right, which means you change the chords. In the case of drive by incubus not useful, I think.
@@thomaserlhoff1156 my friend has a saying, capo up to sing down, slides the capo up the neck, same chords, until it fits his voice, it works pretty good
@@brendantindall805 OK I will check it out.
Thank you,,I’ve been told over and over that I sing out of key,,luckily,at my age it doesn’t bother me,,but I want to sing better ,I picked up a uke and love it and love singing,,recording my voice and playin it back has helped,,
I’ve sung at open mics - one time a friend/coworker commented afterwards “you hit some of the notes!” It was embarrassing to hear but reflecting I realized he was right. In the end very helpful to hear. I know I was kind of phoning it in thinking about my guitar too much. I realized singing is most important and the guitar can just fade away at points. Guitar should be lead by the singer or there’s no song - f’up the playing but keep the song going and let the guitar catch up!
*Polyphia has entered the chat*
I really like this!
Thanks so much! I always find your honest and straightforward approach to teaching SO helpful!
I noticed a huge improvement in your vocals lately. I had no idea it was possible to improve singing that much!
Fantastic video! Great, down-to-earth tips that are easy to implement.
What a great lesson. I've just recently been trying to sing along with my guitar playing after "graduating" your beginner courses. I can actually handle quite a few but my voice is ummm...let's just say I rarely relisten to my recordings. Been considering voice lessons but this is actually what I want to do. Thanks so much!
What a great video mate. I think it’s great that you have shown your singing journey. No one starts perfectly.
Keep up the fantastic content.
Justin, on the subject of straining, the most important tip I ever got was intended as a general one, which was "If you want to learn how to sing, do it with headphones on. (At the time, this required using an acoustic amp with headphone jack or Garage Band.) It felt like magic and really highlighted how much I'd been straining, to no good effect. To this day, if I've gotten out of shape, the best remedy is to start again through headphones. A few days of singing and it's fine to take them off again.
On the subject of protecting our voices from injury, This Is The Voice, by John Colapinto addresses the consequences of excessive strain.
Cheers, -G
Do you mean sing into a mic which feeds into the headphones?
@@timk6181 Yes. As in plugging guitar and mic into acoustic amp and then plugging headphones into the headphone jack on the amp. What you hear in your headphones is the levels and effects, including reverb, which would have come out of the loudspeaker. Everything you do will become less labored.
Bobbie Gentry is a great example of talk-singing. If you listen to "Ode to Billy Joe", you'll hear she only uses vibrato fairly rarely. She just tells the story and lets that give the drama. Same on "Fancy".
I agree, fantastic example Joseph, thanks for pointing her out-what a talent!
great video Justin I have to agree with you. My playing and singing improved so much once I stared recording myself. Then I found a FB group where they encouraged you to post you playing and sing and now I've started posting to YT. Now my next spep is to pluck up the courage to do a open mic night.
Would you mind sharin the FB group name? Thanks 👍
@@metalfuryskulls Justin the group is called (Joe Murphy Guitar Lessons & Inspiration) Members can post as mean videos of themself playing as they like, and it does not matter if you are a beginner/ intermediate or advanced player. All are welcome. they are a great bunch on there and give so much encouragement.
@@andrewmarriott9331 thanks very much 👍
@@metalfuryskulls your welcome please come and join us. I think you will enjoy it.
@@andrewmarriott9331 just have now 👍
What a great lesson. Thank you. Justin, would consider a lesson on how to start the process of singing while playing? When I start to sing, my playing, no matter how simple the song, starts to fall apart.
i need that too. i can only manage a few simple 8th note strumming pattern songs and sing at the same time. any kind of 16th strum or reggae strum.....forget it.
Learn the song you play really well, without thinking about it, kinda automatic. Then try to just hum the melody while playing without messing up, and then try singing, you’ll finally succeed. At least this works for me.
I had the same struggle. I can only recommend to just do it. .start with songs that start singing on the first note as opposed to halfway down the measure. .don't overthink it.
Now I don't care I can start singing along any time.
@@ralfybaby yea but the tricky part for me is keeping a consistent strumming pattern, hell i don even care how my voice sounds. anything riff based, 16th strumming, or anything more than just 8th folk strumming falls apart.
Thank you so much. I've been trying to find a video like this for so long. This video is so helpful
I've watched your lessons for years, and I never thought your singing was anything but perfectly fine. It's a guitar lesson (usually)!
Imagine if Neil Young or some other unconventional voices hadnt just done it because their voice wasnt perfect? Thanks for this helpful video.
God bless you Justin! Keep up this wonderful work.
A Blue Ribbon panel of experts at the International Association of Excellence in Understatement has just released their decision on the biggest understatement of the 21st century. The panel determined that The Greatest Understatement of the 21st Century was contained in a UA-cam Video entitled "How not to suck at singing!" on a channel by the name of JustinGuitar. The statement, made by Justin himself, is as follows: "...I feel like I've made quite a decent amount of improvement [in singing] in the last few years." DUDE! To use Justin's terminology, intending no offense or ill will of course, Justin used to suck at singing. People watched his videos, despite this, because he was a good guitar player, an excellent, natural guitar teacher, and a pleasant, easy-to-listen-to all around likeable guy, even if he was not a good singer. They wished he could sing better, but ultimately they decided that it didn't matter. They liked him, and they learned from him. But then, he apparently decided that he would work at his singing, and get better at it. And, as a result, he went from "sucking" at singing to being a very good singer, who is enjoyable to listen to. Now, he has it all.
Great stuff man. I agree that confidence is crucial.